Logging-jack



(No Model.)

J. E. GILGHRIST.

Loeeme JACK. Y

No. 556,625. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

i "wx alf* Il a A2 e i l ll ll- UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. GILOHRIST, OF SOUTH BEND, VASI-IINGTON.

LOGGING-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent NO. 556,625, dated March 17, 1896.

Application led September Z6, 1895. Serial No. 563,795. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GILCHRIST, of South Bend, in the county of Pacific and State of Vashington, have invented a new and Improved LoggingJack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved jack which is simple and durable in construction, very eective in operation, and more especially designed for convenientlyhandling logs without danger to the workmen.

The invention consists principally of a steel casing, in which is fitted to slide a lifting-rack in mesh with a pinion secured on a shaft journaled inthe said casing, the said shaft carrying a ratchet-wheel, and a lever having a pawl adapted to be manipulated by a hand-lever to engage or disengage the said ratchet-wheel.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with the cap in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 4t is a sectional side elevation of the levers and ratchet. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the improvement on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a face view of part'of one side of the casing.

The improved logging-jack is provided with a suitably-constructed casing A having a base A', formed on its under side with points A2 for securely engaging the ground or log to hold the casing in position. On this base A are fastened by screws, bolts, rivets or like devices the flanges A3 of the front and rear plates A4, made of steel and parallel to each other, and the said front and rear plates are connected with each other by the sides A5, each formed with projections A4 passing through suitable apertures in the front and rear plates A4. The upper ends of the plates A4 and A5 are engaged by a cap A7, secured in place on the plates A4 by screws or bolts B', as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. l. It will be seen that as this casing is made completely of steel it is very durable and can be very cheaply manufactured. A ring A8 on one side A4 of the casing serves to conveniently move the jack about.

In the casing A is fitted to slide vertically the lifting-rack O, carrying at its upper end a head D, held to turnon a pivot E, secured in the upper end of the rack. The head D is provided with points adapted to engage the log or other object to be lifted to hold the said rack in place during the lifting operation. The teeth of the rack C are in mesh with a pinion F, secured on a transversely-extending shaft G, journaled in suitable bearings in the plates A4 of the casing, and on this shaft G and at one side of the pinion F and rack C is secured a ratchet H, extending in the upper enlarged end of the casing A. The ratchet H is adapted to be engaged by the free end of a pawl I, fulcrumed at I in a lever J, hooked with its hooked end J engaging with the shaft G, as is plainly shown in Fig. 4. The pawl I is pivotally connected with a handlever K, extending under the working lever J, and adapted to be pressed by the operator to throw the pawl I out of engagement with the ratchet H whenever desired.

The hand-lever K is formed with a slot K', through which extends the fulcrum-pin K2 for the said lever to permit the {lever to slide according to the swinging movement ofthe pawl I. A spring L held on the working lever J presses on the back of the pawl I toV normally hold the latter in engagement with the ratchet-wheel H. A dog N is in engagement with the said ratchet-wheel H to hold the load in a raised position during the up or return stroke of the working lever J, and this dog N is secured on a transversely-extending shaft N j ournaled in suitable bearings in the sides A4 of the casing A. A gravity-arm O is secured in this shaft N to normally hold the dog N in position or in mesh with the ratchet-wheel H, and this arm O is adapted to be engaged at its free lower end O' by the operator to enable the latter to swing the arm upward to throw the dog N out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel H whenever desired to lower the load. A stop-pin P, secured IOO to the front plate A4 of the casing A, limits the outward swinging motion of the gravity-arm direction of the arrow a to cause a turning of the shaft G in the same direction and a consequent raising of the lifting-rack C by the pinion Fin mesh with the teeth of the said rack.

Vhen it is desired to lower the load the operator pulls on the gravity-arm O, so as to lift the dog N out of engagement with the ratchetwheel l-I and permit a turning of the ratchetwheel H in the inverse direction of the arrow a by the load, the operator then raising the head of the lever J in an upward direction by a downward pressure upon the handle of the lever J. If it is desired to suddenly lower the load or to turn the lifting-rack C, then both the arm O and the pawl I are swung outward to disengage the jack and the said pawl I from thevratchet-wheel II.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described the working parts of the jack are under perfect control of the operator, so that there'is no danger to the workmen when raising or lowering loads.

A suitable hoodinay be employed to cover up the working parts to prevent dirt from clogging the same. The cap A4 may, however, be extended for thispurpose, as will be understood by reference `to dotted lines in Fig. l.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A logging-jack or the like, comprising a casing, a lifting-rack itted to .slide in the casing, a shaft extending transversely of the casing, a pinion on the shaft enga-ging the rack, a ratchet-wheel on said shaft, a pawl en gaging the ratchet-wheel and adapted to hold the rack in an elevated position, a working lever having a hooked end adapted to be hung on said shaft, and a pawl carried on said working lever and arranged to engage said ratchetwheel, whereby when the said lever is operated said ratchet-wheel is turned, substantially as set forth.

2. .A logging-jack orthe like, coinprisinga casing, a lifting-rack iitted to slide therein, a shaft extending transversely of `the casing, a pinion on the shaft meshing with the rack, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft, a pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel to hold the rack in an elevated position, aworking lever, a spring-pawl carried on said working lever in positon to engage the ratchet-wheel to turn the saine when the lever is manipulated, a slotted handlever having one endloosely coupled to said pawl and its other end in position to be engaged by the hand of the operator, and a fulcrum-pin for said hand-lever mounted on the working lever and engaging the slot in the hand-lever, substantially as set forth.

JOHN E. GILCIIRIST. lVitnesses .TERE J. BROWN, EUGENE A. RUDDER. 

